Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Antagonizes Transforming Growth Factor-β1–Induced Smooth Muscle Gene Expression Through Extracellular Signal–Regulated Kinase 1/2 Signaling Pathway Activation

Abstract

Our data suggest that bFGF-induced MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling plays an antagonistic role in TGFbeta1-induced SMC gene expression through suppression of the SRF function. These data indicate that opposing effects of bFGF and TGFbeta1 on SMC gene expression control the phenotypic plasticity of SMCs.